Additionally, Wi-Fi Assistant now offers to secure Wi-Fi networks that are saved on your device with its VPN. Like the current implementation, this new feature will only secure these existing networks if Wi-Fi Assistant determines that they're high quality (good latency, throughput, and reliability) and open networks without passwords or captive portals (pretty rare).

The Fi team also provides some clarification on why Wi-Fi Assistant will work with a network and then not work with the same network later. Because Wi-Fi Assistant checks both historical and real-time data and not just the SSID, your device may not be able to connect if the quality is detected to be different.

Comments

It's now available for all nexus phones, it used to be available for Fi users only.

IVBela

So actually Google provides free VPN service? Where's the catch?
And thank you, I keep waiting then, have a Nexus but don't see the option yet.

DarthHaro

Try looking under settings->google->networking
Roommate and I just got it available today. We had to check and enable it ourselves.

roberto.elena

I don't have it yet. Just curious, did you have the option to notify when a public network is available activated?

DarthHaro

Wi-Fi Assistant is only available in these countries if you are not apart of Project Fi's service. US, Canada, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, and the UK. Are you in any of these countries?

roberto.elena

I'm in Spain. So, the list of countries where this is available is different depending on whether you are on Fi or not?

DarthHaro

That is correct.

Roopesh P

India?

JG

Is the geographical restriction for all of WiFi Assistant or just the VPN portion?

It would make sense having the VPN portion restricted. I'd want a German IP address while I'm in Germany. And each country may have different rules and regulations regarding operating VPNs within their country.

But why would the phone not be able to at least automatically join open WiFi networks?

For the same reason that Wi-Fi Assistant from the very start came packaged with a VPN. You wouldn't want your phone to automatically join open Wi-Fi networks without your knowledge or interaction without a VPN. That's just ASKING to be hacked.

"Like the current implementation, this new feature will only secure these existing networks if Wi-Fi Assistant determines that they're high quality (good latency, throughput, and reliability) and open networks without passwords or captive portals (pretty rare)."

I had Wi-Fi Assistant come up earlier today for a connection with a captive portal, btw.

saf1927

They said the captive portal limitation was removed on Google+ a few weeks ago.

No, it means you get the WiFi assistant feature. Fi is still only for US residents.

nps_ca

All over open WiFi spots during the day - had yet to see it ever connect until I was at Target this weekend - connected automatically and worked fine with no login/approval screen. At more common places like Starbucks still get the pop up screen and no prompt for VPN (not on newest play services), you would think with Google running Starbucks US wifi that it would be part of the trusted stable WiFi they auto connect to

Fi works world wide. Only available for US residents to sign up for though.

Paige Hudson

I would urge internet users to get additional security layers. There are plenty of good VPN service providers out there in the market who are promising 256 bit encryption, strict no log policy, agree or not, VPN has indeed become a need of time, considering the amount of threats faced by internet users. So it's better to spare $5 per month and buy Purevpn, Vypr, VPN Area etc, though there are other vpn service providers as well and you are encouraged to do a comparison by yourself.